


The Case of the Missing Rabbit

by remanth



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bluebell the rabbit, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Parent!lock, case!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-14
Updated: 2012-11-14
Packaged: 2017-11-18 16:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/563060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remanth/pseuds/remanth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Sherlock had adopted four children five years ago and never looked back. Now, their youngest Olivia comes home with a case for them: her class rabbit, Bluebell, has been stolen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Case of the Missing Rabbit

"Daddy, someone stole Bluebell!" Olivia wailed as she walked into the flat at 221B. Her older sister Bailey followed after her, the same bus dropping them off. Penelope and Jason were already home, the high school having a half day today. Jason was sitting at the kitchen table staring intently into Sherlock's microscope while the detective looked on in paternal pride. Penelope was in the living room with John, working on a paper she had to write.

"Bluebell?" John repeated, looking up at his youngest daughter. "Who's Bluebell?"

"The class rabbit, John," Sherlock said, flicking an annoyed glance at John. "Really, weren't you listening last week?"

"Sherlock, I was in Dublin last week for a conference," John said dryly, grinning at his husband. Their children laughed at the familiar exchange, used to the way their fathers expressed their love for each other.

"Bluebell is a white rabbit with green eyes," Olivia said sadly. "This morning when we went into class, she was gone. The cage was wide open. The teacher doesn't know who did it. Can you help daddy?"

Sherlock patted Jason on the shoulder as he stood from the table and walked into the living room. He knelt down in front of Olivia and gave her a serious look.

"Of course I'll find her, little one," he said. "Let's wait a few minutes for your poppa and Penelope to finish her homework and we'll go back and find Bluebell." John sent Sherlock a grateful look knowing that it was difficult still for Sherlock to think of others before himself. Olivia nodded and hugged Sherlock while Bailey nodded and walked upstairs to the bedroom the three girls shared. She wanted to change before heading back.

About 20 minutes later, Penelope had finished her essay and packed it away in her backpack. John stood and kissed the top of her head before grabbing his coat and shrugging into it. He looked around the flat, noting all four of their children were downstairs again and cleared his throat.

"Jason, I think you should stay to finish your homework," John said when he had everyone's attention. "And Penelope, I want you to stay here and watch Bailey. Help her with her homework if she needs it." The three children named nodded, though Bailey looked sad that she couldn't go back and help. Jason waved absently without even looking up from the microscope.

"He's so much like you," John told Sherlock fondly. Sherlock grinned at him and felt a flare of love burst through him. They had adopted the children 5 years ago when Jason was 11, Penelope was 9, Bailey was 6, and Olivia was 3. Their friends and family thought they were insane but John and Sherlock had never had a regret.

"And make sure you keep all the blood samples separate," Sherlock said before walking out the door. "Mixing them would invalidate the experiment."

"I know, dad," Jason called without looking up. "Go find Olivia's rabbit." John laughed warmly and after a few seconds, Sherlock joined in. Olivia took both of her father's hands as they walked downstairs and she said goodbye cheerfully to Mrs. Hudson. The venerable landlady smiled fondly at the three of them before heading back into her flat to gather a tray of cookies to bring upstairs.

Sherlock was the one to hail a cab because they always stopped for him. As they drove to Olivia's school, Sherlock questioned her gently about the rabbit and what she saw of the cage. Olivia answered happily, babbling away in her high-pitched voice and completely certain her dad would find the rabbit. John looked on, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The cab pulled up outside the school and Olivia and Sherlock got out, still talking, while John paid the cabby. He followed after them, shaking his head at the familiarity of it all. Their children were becoming so much like them. They met a short, thin woman with black hair at the entrance of the school and she smiled warmly at Olivia.

"Are these your parents, dear?" she asked, holding out a hand for Sherlock and John to shake. "My name's Anna White and I'm sorry to meet you both under these circumstances."

"I'm John and this is Sherlock," John replied when he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too. Can you show us the classroom?" Anna nodded and led to way into the school, walking about halfway down the hallway and turning into a room. She pointed to the cage, which still stood open, and sat down at her desk.

John sat next to her while Sherlock examined the cage. Olivia climbed into his lap and John settled her absently on his right leg while Anna smiled at them.

"When did you last see Bluebell?" John asked, getting right to the heart of the matter.

"Yesterday," Anna replied. "I fed her before I left at 4. All the other teachers had left and so had my last student. I was tutoring a young boy for an hour after class ended."

"And has anyone shown an unreasonable amount of interest in her?" John said, tilting his head. "Maybe tried to get her out of the cage during class?"

"Not that I can think of," Anna said before being interrupted by Sherlock.

"John, come here," Sherlock said without looking up. He was studying the catch on the door of the cage. John carefully lifted Olivia to the floor, nodded at Anna, and walked over to Sherlock. He studied the catch and saw a film of something on it. He sniffed it and looked at Sherlock in surprise.

"Peanut butter?" John said. "Whoever opened this had peanut butter on their fingers?"

"Excellent deduction John," Sherlock said, turning his special only-for-John smile on him. "Now we just need to find out which child ate peanut butter for lunch or a snack and we have our rabbit thief."

"Thank you, daddy!" Olivia exclaimed, throwing her arms around Sherlock's waist. "I knew you would figure it out." Sherlock hugged her back then turned to Anna.

"Do you know which child had peanut butter?" he asked. Anna thought for a moment then sighed.

"The boy I was tutoring, Charlie," she said. "He had a peanut butter sandwich as a snack."

"Then he's probably the one who took Bluebell," John said as Sherlock and Olivia started walking out. "I'd recommend calling his parents." Anna nodded at him and John followed his family out, grinning. He was surprised that the rabbit had the same name as the rabbit from Baskerville, but if Olivia had anything to do with the naming, that was his answer.

"Thank you," Olivia said again as they waited for a cab. "Miss White will get Bluebell back and we can take care of her again. It's like an experiment in class."

"I'm glad they're teaching you about experiments," Sherlock said. "It's never too early to learn. Once you're a little older, you can join in on some of mine."

"No explosives," John said automatically. Sherlock and Olivia turned to him with identical looks of sadness and mischief. "I mean it, no explosives, Sherlock."

"All right, John," Sherlock said then leaned down to whisper in Olivia's ear "At least not until you're 16." She giggled and took both of her father's hands again. It was a good ending to the day.


End file.
